


Flashing Lights

by Arika_Ito



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Tension, F/M, Strippers & Strip Clubs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:14:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27925828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arika_Ito/pseuds/Arika_Ito
Summary: When Sylvain drags Dimitri to a strip club, he leaves with more than expected.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	Flashing Lights

Dimitri keeps his eyes cast downward, too afraid or too awkward to bring his gaze up. He feels a familiar weight pressed against his arm. “Hey, buddy!” Sylvain shouts over the throbbing music. “You doing okay?”

Dimitri nods weakly, his eyes meeting Sylvain’s hesitantly. His eyes catch a glimpse of skin and he jerks his head back down. A familiar ball of stress begins to pit in his stomach.

Sylvain watches him sympathetically. They just finished year one of the exams for law school and their cohort wanted to celebrate. Dimitri usually shied away from such events, but even he was feeling the adrenaline of a stressful year finished. He didn’t imagine a strip club of all places, though. It was Sylvain’s idea, but the rest of their classmates wanted to go. 

The loud music pounded his ears, and the flashing lights made it uncomfortable to look up. That and the mostly naked bodies too. Dimitri jerks when Sylvain pats his hand as he waves someone down. “After this, you can head out, okay?” Sylvain murmurs, his voice silkily moving through the noise. 

With his voice louder, he shouts over the music. “A lap dance for my friend, okay?” Sylvain pulls the money out from a clip, handing it to a petite woman. Her purple lingerie matches her eyes. Dimitri freezes, wordless, as the dancer examines him with a wry look on her face. 

He can’t hear her over the music, but she jerks her head over to the side of the club where the row of private rooms is. Sylvain shoves him away from the bench and he follows her, his eyes avoiding her swaying hips. Even with heels on, the top of her head barely reaches his chin. 

She looks at him one more time over her shoulder and beckons him inside the room. The door shuts and his stomach drops. It’s quieter in this room, but still dimly lit.

“Is this your first time?” She asks, her fingers hovering over a stereo. Her light purple eyes pierce him as she waits for his answer. He nods, his Adam’s apple noticeably gulping. There’s something familiar about her eyes, but he can’t place it.

She tosses her platinum hair over her shoulder. “Some ground rules,” she murmurs, leaning against the wall. “No touching, no kissing. If you want to, that costs more money. Your friend paid for three songs so this will be worth about fifteen minutes.” She looks him up and down again, noticing his unbuttoned shirt and slacks. He thought they were going to go bowling or something, not this. 

Her finger hesitates over the stereo. She turns back again to him. “You sure you want to do this?” She looks at him expectantly. “You don’t exactly look comfortable.” 

Dimitri swallows, wavering. “Not really,” he says in a small voice. “I don’t- I don’t usually do stuff like this.” His knees begin to jitter as he sits in the uncomfortable cold metal chair. 

She nods, understanding. “Sylvain says his friends aren’t like this.” She moves away from the stereo to lean against the wall. “We don’t have to do anything if you’re not comfortable with it.” 

“Really?” Dimitri looks at her, surprised. Sylvain and the others made it seem so _normal,_ as if everyone their age had done it, except for Felix of course, but Felix usually refused to be social. 

“Yes,” she smiles gently. “This is a rite of passage for some guys and girls and sometimes, they aren’t comfortable, which is fine. It’s a strip club.” She waves a hand distractingly. “That’s probably why Sylvain chose me for this. He knew I’d get it.” 

“You know Sylvain?” Dimitri asks curiously and the girl smirks. He blushes, realizing the innuendo he just implied. “I mean-”

She shakes her head, “Not like that. I wouldn’t say he’s a frequent customer, but he’s polite, tips well, and with a head of hair like that, he’s memorable.” She smiles. “So which one are you?” She tilts her head at him, her long hair pooling to one side. 

Dimitri swallows, the tension releasing in his body. “I’m Dimitri,” he murmurs. He’s not sure if he should give out his name like this, but if she’s familiar with Sylvain, then she must be okay.

“Dimitri,” she says warmly, his name dancing through her mouth. He flushes, averting his gaze. “I’m El. So what brings you here?” 

“We just finished exams,” Dimitri answers truthfully. There’s something about this girl that relaxes him. He’s friends with Ingrid and knows other women, but there’s something about her that’s different. “They wanted to go celebrate. I thought we’d be doing something... different.”

She makes a small noise in her throat, Dimitri thinks it was a giggle but he won’t ask. “Well, congratulations on finishing your exams, I have mine in a week and I’m not looking forward to them.”

Dimitri perks up. “Exams?” He asks curiously. He didn’t want to be rude or anything but…

She nods. “I’m in graduate school for business,” she states calmly. “It has a stipend, but I needed a little bit more money. So that’s why I’m here.” She waves a hand disarmingly. She pushes a lock of hair over her ear. 

Dimitri runs his eyes up and down her body as she fiddles with the stereo. She looks athletic, her firm thighs connecting to sculpted calves. Her lace underwear digs into her hips as her bra cups her small chest with ease. He averts his eyes quickly when she looks back at him. 

“Oh, well. Good luck with your exams!” He says cheerfully. She smiles, leaning her back against the wall. They continue chatting, bonding over the stress of exams. Dimitri has a law internship lined up with Felix’s father during the summer.

When the fifteen minutes are up, Dimitri’s almost a little sad about them. He offers her a tip which she waves off. When they leave the room, she heads for the back area whereas Dimitri goes to his friends. 

Sylvain smirks at him as the group of men crowds him, asking about his experience. He doesn’t say anything, letting their imagination do the work for him. After a few minutes, he leaves with the memory of El in the strip club who took pity on him.

* * *

Dimitri readies the dinner table, placing the plates down first diligently. His stepmother, Patricia, is fussing in the kitchen over dinner as his father tries to placate her. She’s nervous. She’s seeing her daughter for the first time in twenty years. He hasn’t heard the full story from his dad or his stepmom, but she left her daughter when she was young. 

His dad married Patricia only a few years ago, barely starting to date during Dimitri’s first year of college. He was happy for his dad; he focused all of his attention on Dimitri when he was younger after Dimitri’s mom died young. Now he was happy with Patricia.

He lays the napkins down next. Patricia said that her daughter was around his age, living in the area. This was the first time they would meet in years. Patricia wanted everything to be perfect. 

The doorbell rings when he’s finally finished putting the utensils down. His dad wheels out the drink cart as Patricia hurries to the front door. His father clasps him on the shoulder as they head towards the front with Patricia, who fusses over her hair. 

“You look perfect, sweetheart,” his father says, reassuring her. She smiles weakly as she exhales, her hand on the doorknob. 

When she opens the door, Dimitri can only think- _Oh no._

El freezes, meeting his eyes at the doorway. He should have recognized her eyes. They’re the same as his stepmother’s, or should he say her mom. 

His parents don’t notice as Patricia squeaks when El looks at her. “Edelgard!” She exclaims brightly, “It’s so nice to see you.”

“Hello Patricia,” she murmurs, bringing out a small box. “I brought something for you.” His stepmother swings the door out wide, letting the cold air in. 

Edelgard- not El- Dimitri corrects in his mind. It made sense. Why should she give out her name to random strangers at her workplace? Did Patricia even know what kind of establishment her daughter was working at?

“Come in, come in,” Patricia says quickly, as Edelgard steps in, brushing the snowflakes off her scarf. She removes her boots, revealing thick wool socks and scarf. She takes off her coat, revealing a maroon dress that reaches her knees and fits her curves nicely. Dimitri flushes pink, remembering the way her bra hugged her body and the way her waist flared into her hips. _This was not good_.

Dinner was delicious, the long hours that Patricia spent in the kitchen coming to fruition. They made small conversation, as Patricia asked Edelgard about how her classes were coming along. She had told him the truth; she was a graduate student near the local university. He also learned more things about her.

She was living with some friends near the university. She spent most of her time reading and studying. Patricia glows with every answer that Edelgard readily answers. They don’t make eye contact. Dimitri wouldn’t dare tell them they met earlier because that would mean explaining where they met and Dimitri is a godawful liar. 

His father offers her some book recommendations- he was a lawyer as well but studied history in college. He has an embarrassing amount of books in his office. 

When the night ends, Edelgard hovers by the doorway. She bites her lip, turning it white. She looks at Patricia. “Do you want my number?” She asks quickly. “So we can stay in touch.”

Patricia looks ecstatic, almost as if she’s about to faint. “Yes, of course!” She gasps. She pats down her dress. “Lambert, where’s my phone?” 

“How about you give me your phone number,” Edelgard says patiently. “I’ll text you with mine.” When Patricia rattles off her number quickly, Edelgard types in a quick text to her. In the kitchen, they hear a faint vibrate. “Thank you for tonight. Dinner was delicious.” 

Patricia smiles brightly. She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. “How are you getting home? It’s a bit late.”

“There’s a local station that I can walk to,” Edelgard checks her phone. “The next bus should be in 15 minutes, I can be there before it arrives.”

“The bus?” Patricia says, confused. “Your father didn’t give you a car?” She tilts her head. 

Edelgard swallows, looking between the three of them. “It’s complicated.”

Patricia frowns. “But-”

“I’ll explain later, okay?” Edelgard cuts her off. She sighs. “I should get going. It’s late, like you said. Thanks for having me over.”

Patricia bites her lip, looking back and forth between her husband and her daughter.

“I can drop her off,” Dimitri offers quickly. “I have a car and I need to get back to my place tonight, anyway.” Edelgard freezes, looking at him, but Patricia looks grateful. “Are you okay with that?”

Edelgard stares at him blankly before nodding. “I have to get my bag, but we can leave now.” Dimitri heads upstairs to the guest room where his travel bag is. This isn’t the house where he and his father grew up, but it has a guest room where he stays sometimes. He doesn’t like the idea of Edelgard walking in the pitch-black night to a bus stop anyway either. 

“I’ll see you guys, next weekend, alright?” Dimitri smiles, giving them both a quick hug. Edelgard has already pulled on her coat, her scarf, and her boots. The door closes behind them as they walk towards his car in the driveway. His dad got him a used car in high school and he intends to use it until he can’t repair it any further. 

He runs the heater and starts driving after Edelgard gives him instructions to put into his maps. 

“You can ask, if you want to,” Edelgard says after sitting in silence for a few minutes. She’s leaning against the side, her head tilted towards the car window. “My parents split up when I was pretty young, if they were ever really together.” Dimitri nods. Patricia has said little about her past, but from what his father said, it was complicated. 

“What’s up with your father?” From Patricia’s words, it sounded like Edelgard was expected to have a car, but if Edelgard was working in a gentlemen’s establishment to make ends meet, things weren’t adding up. 

“He’s not well,” Edelgard says curtly. “His power of attorney cut me off a long time ago and I don’t have access to the trust fund or the company until I turn 25.”

“The company?” Dimitri asks as they roll to a stoplight. 

Edelgard turns to look at him. “Did she not tell you anything?” Edelgard says, drily. Dimitri shakes his head. “My last name is Hresvelg.” 

Dimitri blinks and pulls over to the side without a word. “Like the company?” He asks, turning to her. Hresvelg Co. was one of the biggest companies in Fodlan. They were worth millions, if not billions of dollars. 

“Like the company,” Edelgard confirms with a laugh. “She really didn’t say anything.” She looks out the window at the bright lights of the road. 

Dimitri pauses, trying to choose his words carefully. “So you’re in graduate school for a Master's in business and you strip on the side to make ends meet when you’re worth billions of dollars?” When he was expecting dinner with his stepmom’s estranged daughter, he wasn’t expecting this.

“Exactly.” Dimitri runs a hand over his face. Edelgard was right, this was complicated. He turns, making sure there isn’t anyone in the lane before he starts the car again. “Don’t tell her,” Edelgard says in a quiet voice. “This doesn’t involve her, and I don’t want her to have to deal with my father again.” 

Dimitri shakes his head. This is completely crazy. It’s like one of those dramas that Sylvain’s ex-girlfriends used to watch. “Yeah, I can do that.” He answers grimly. 

“Is she happy?” Edelgard asks quietly after a few minutes. 

Dimitri thinks over the question, over the long video calls he has with the two of them, over how his father smiles when he sees her, and how his father doesn’t look as thin as he used to. “Yeah, I think she is.” 

“That’s good,” Edelgard smiles. They roll to a stop in front of the apartment complex. “Thanks for driving me, Dimitri.” She finds a napkin in the glove compartment, reaching for a pen in her purse. “That’s my number. You can text me if you want.” 

Dimitri smiles at her, and she gets out of his car, leaving behind the scent of roses. At the front of the apartment complex, a man with long orange hair smiles at him, his arm interlocked with an older man with dark black hair who glowers at him. There’s a woman there too with long flowing brown locks. Dimitri thinks he recognizes her, but he’s not too sure. 

When they enter the building, Dimitri reclines his chair, tilting his head back. He looks at the napkin and types in her number, under the title “El.” He’s not sure what he’s going to do next. “This is Dimitri, it was nice to meet you.” He types in carefully, sending it to her. But it's a start.

**Author's Note:**

> Did I write this in one afternoon? Why yes, yes I did. Will this cure my writer's block? Hopefully. A little bit of fun for a silly situation. 
> 
> Dorothea's in the fic, only in the background. She's the one who got Edie the job. Secretly Edelgard, Ferdinand, and Hubert are plotting a hostile takeover. It'll be fun. 
> 
> They're 23/24ish in the story so once Edie gets her hands on the trust fund, she has big plans for it. Aegir won't be safe for very long after that.


End file.
